[0.25]KSP Interstellar (Magnetic Nozzles, ISRU Revamp) Version 0.13

[Fractal_UK]

Does the gamma ray spectrometer actually do anything or is it a coming feature because I've put several craft in orbit with them with and without megajoule power and have had nothing even remotely indicative of it working

It does this, they can also be seen in the map view and are visible further from the planet this way.

[SergeantBlueforce]

The IVA for the science lab has very low resolution textures even though I have textures at the highest setting.

[Myrten]

Trying to optimize transmission efficiency calculations for routing multiple relays I've made following method

protected double CalculateTransmissionBaseEfficiency(double distance, double facingFactor)
        {
            double powerdissip = 1;//if distance is <= penaltyFreeDistance then powerdissip will always be 1
            if (distance > penaltyFreeDistance)
            {
                powerdissip = (microwaveAngleTan*distance*microwaveAngleTan*distance)/collectorArea;//dissip is always > 1 here
            }
            return facingFactor/powerdissip;
        }

To avoid calculating penaltyFreeDistance each time this method is called I've placed it in a field but since it depends on

   [KSPField(isPersistant = false)]
        public float collectorArea = 1;

Can anyone tell me if it will be already set by the game to correct value when

public override void OnStart(PartModule.StartState state)

is being executed?

This is the formula for a penalty free distance which I've derived from Fractal's original formula for power dissip, microwaveAngleTan is 3,64773822258968E-10 if anyone is interested

 
penaltyFreeDistance = Math.Sqrt(1/((microwaveAngleTan*microwaveAngleTan)/collectorArea));

[Fractal_UK]

Trying to optimize transmission efficiency calculations for routing multiple relays I've made following method

   [KSPField(isPersistant = false)]
        public float collectorArea = 1;

Can anyone tell me if it will be already set by the game to correct value when

public override void OnStart(PartModule.StartState state)

is being executed?

Yes, all those fields have been loaded by the time OnStart is called.

The IVA for the science lab has very low resolution textures even though I have textures at the highest setting.

I used a scaled down texture because a lot of people were having problems during the loading of that final science lab texture. I've been meaning to put up a download of the high res texture. I'll sort that out soon.

[Eadrom]

This issue will finally be resolved in the next update. I'd like to also incorporate the improved thermal mechanics into this update, that part needs a little bit more tweaking (I've got it working fine but I don't have the balance quite right yet).

Resource storage doesn't actually matter very with resource managed resources, in principle, there wouldn't be a major issue with having no storage at all. Radiators running at 0 WasteHeat but still having an elevated temperature is an example of this. The stock game's resource system does function in the way you describe however.

Very happy to hear this! I love the new fusion reactor. I like its fuel system and I like how you have to manage power consumption on board your ship such that you maintain enough spare power to keep the reactor firing. I look forward to being able to use them on my tiny probes again.

[forsaken1111]

Regarding the fusion reactor... I'd really like to see some kind of override when the fusion reactor is attached to a generator such that the generator will always ensure that the reactor is powered before any other power draw.

[Fractal_UK]

Regarding the fusion reactor... I'd really like to see some kind of override when the fusion reactor is attached to a generator such that the generator will always ensure that the reactor is powered before any other power draw.

This is something I'm trying to implement - it's tricky because it's done across resource types. The resource manager supports prioritisation across a single resource, so I can say that if you're using up Megajoules, Plasma Engines and Antimatter tanks should get the first slice, as an example. For the fusion reactor, the only way I can do the same at the moment is by increasing the power priority of the generator, that will ensure the reactor always gets its power but it will also mean that anything else the generator is doing will take power away from the thermal engines.

I have a possible alternative solution that requires some more investigation - hopefully more on this soon.

[forsaken1111]

Any way to let us set the priority ourselves? It could be as simple as right clicking a part that takes MJ and clicking an up/down button to change the priority on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being first and 10 being last.

[pantheis]

Thanks to all of your help! It's a little back heavy, but flies, and lands!

[arslin]

Let us first start off with a quote in the description of the MOD:

The first electrolysis option is turning water into liquid fuel and oxidiser. This can be performed when the lab is splashed down in water OR when the lab is landed on the icy surface of Vall.

Cool idea.

Maybe this was spoken about in the 400 pages i did not read thru, but I read that I could Electrolysis fuel on Vall. I wanted to setup a location that could refuel ships without sending supply ships. I do not have some of the most advanced technology right now.

So I put a station in orbit around Vall, landed a science lab, landed a shuttle to bring fuel up to the station, and sent a refueling ship to keep everything running... everything was in place, and the lab did not work.

Only after looking into it more did i see where the change notes say in fine print.

Electrolysis option removed from science labs

First: why was it removed? Second will it come back?

Cool MOD, but try to update the description guys

[123nick]

I am still having a couple issues with the fusion reactor at high time warp. A simple test ship of a 1.25m thermal nozzle, 1.25m fusion reactor, 1.25m generator, small LOF tank, and a 1-crew pod. This actually works for me now at max time warp. Fusion reactor stays on and I get the expected behavior I've come to know and love from the fission reactors.

My issue arises when I replace the crew pod with a 1.25m probe core and a comm dish (remote tech). At 10,000x time warp, MJ dips down a bit, then stabilizes at around 60% of max MJ amount. At 100,000x time warp, all power gets drained from the ship. I can't tell if this is because the reactor shuts down and the probe core and comm dish suck all the power or another issue. The speed at which I lose power might suggest that the reactor is consuming the 7MW it needs to stay turned on, but for some reason isn't generating power, so it just drains stored MJ until the reactor dies, then the generator consumes the last bit of thermal power for a little MJ with powers the probe core and comm dish for a brief period. At that point, the ship is then completely power dead.

I have a sneaky feeling this might be related to RemoteTech. Maybe briefly losing communications with Mission Control is turning off the fusion reactor? Anyone else that plays with RemoteTech2 able to duplicate my situation? I have another install without RemoteTech. I'll give it a try and see if I get the same issue.

Edit:

Nope. Still having this issue without RemoteTech. Used an identical probe ship as above, minus a comm dish. At 1,000x speed, MJ flickered a bit then capped out. At 10,000x time warp, MJ drained down to exactly 3,000/5,000. When I accelerated to 100,000x time warp, MJ dropped down to zero, then all power died as the game ramped up to 100,000x speed. I'd say around 80,000x speed or so is when the ship died.

I think what might be happening is that the time step change is too much for the resource manager. Even with just the probe core and a single fusion reactor I think I run out of MJ before the resource manager realizes what's going on and is able to stabilize the power situation. I'm thinking that if this is the problem, larger ships with more MJ storage capacity probably won't have this problem as they will have enough MJ left over after the time stamp scaling up to 100,000x to keep the fusion reactors online.

i think a good fix for this use Near-Future tech's capacitor module to make a capacitor, that works with MJ and Stored MJ. the standard capacitors in the mod keep electricity stored as stored charge, and when a button is pressed all of it is released, so you can store MJs in a resource where the fusion reactor cannot use, and then when your out of MJs, discharge the capacitor.

[Ratzap]

Is thorium supposed to be higher thrust with the thermal jet or not? I stuck it in a working nuclear plane I have and it wouldn't even go fast enough to take off. Max thrust was less than a tenth of the same with normal fuel.

Danzi, yeah I got it to work after some more reading. I didn't know the fusion needed a kickstart from something else. It's not in the part description.

[forsaken1111]

Is thorium supposed to be higher thrust with the thermal jet or not? I stuck it in a working nuclear plane I have and it wouldn't even go fast enough to take off. Max thrust was less than a tenth of the same with normal fuel.

Did the reactor reach 100% capacity? If not, you don't have enough intakes.

[Donziboy2]

i think a good fix for this use Near-Future tech's capacitor module to make a capacitor, that works with MJ and Stored MJ. the standard capacitors in the mod keep electricity stored as stored charge, and when a button is pressed all of it is released, so you can store MJs in a resource where the fusion reactor cannot use, and then when your out of MJs, discharge the capacitor.

Or just ignore using max time warp....

[Ratzap]

Did the reactor reach 100% capacity? If not, you don't have enough intakes.

As I said, same plane that works fine with normal nuclear reactors - it is encrusted with intakes. I'll try the refueling again with a kerbal and cans instead of fuel balancer.

[forsaken1111]

You said it was the same plane but you didn't report the reactor usage. If you're not getting 100% utilization then you aren't getting all of the available thrust.

[Ratzap]

It doesn't say active, it says decay heat. That's why I tried refueling with an EVA kerbal but no menu points come up after 'manual shutdown'.

There's nothing on the front page documentation about what is needed to refuel with thorium. I have a THF4 can attached and an EVA kerbal. Does it need empty space to put the old fuel? Any special parts?

[forsaken1111]

It doesn't say active, it says decay heat. That's why I tried refueling with an EVA kerbal but no menu points come up after 'manual shutdown'.

There's nothing on the front page documentation about what is needed to refuel with thorium. I have a THF4 can attached and an EVA kerbal. Does it need empty space to put the old fuel? Any special parts?

You have to wait a few days for the decay heat to dissipate so its cool enough for the kerbals to work on.

[plaiddragon]

When I follow the download instructions the game doesn't work...

I have been merging the Plugin's GameData file with the default GameData folder and the game just crashes when I start it...

could someone help?

[RadHazard]

It doesn't say active, it says decay heat. That's why I tried refueling with an EVA kerbal but no menu points come up after 'manual shutdown'.

There's nothing on the front page documentation about what is needed to refuel with thorium. I have a THF4 can attached and an EVA kerbal. Does it need empty space to put the old fuel? Any special parts?

You also need UF4 tanks to store the UF4 from the reactor.

[Fractal_UK]

When I follow the download instructions the game doesn't work...

I have been merging the Plugin's GameData file with the default GameData folder and the game just crashes when I start it...

could someone help?

You will need to be specific, what do you mean the game doesn't work? What happens that is not working and when, exactly, does it happen? Likewise when you say the game crashes, what do you mean? At what point does it crash?

Do you have many other mods installed? If you have other large mods like b9, have you installed texture reduction packs?

[Myrten]

I've finished changing relay routing algorithm from using optimal distance to using optimal efficiency(angle,distance) and I must say it seems to be working pretty awesome and has some interesting gameplay consequences.

In this game I have a lot of satellites in Kerbin's equatorial orbits but almost nothing in higher/lower inclinations. This has huge effect now...

In first 4 screenshots you can see that my input power stays at very similar stable level when receiver is at 'horizontal' positions since there are relays everywhere.

In next 2 screenshots receiver is pointed upwards and downwards - power drops almost to zero since there are no relays up/down.

Next two screenshot shows thermal receiver in vertical and horizontal positions - since it collects best on sides vertical position is the best for thermal receiver, horizontal is not so great but it still has pretty decent input power.

Generally speaking now you can get pretty stable power levels if you place relays in 3 dimensions or have multiple receivers pointed at different directions.

I've added for testing purposes Network Depth label here which displays longest connection in terms of hops between relays and made Satellites\Relays connected also display total number of transmitters\relays.

I'll post all the code as soon as I clean & comment it properly, should be done by tomorrow.

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Edited December 6, 2013 by Myrten

[Ratzap]

You have to wait a few days for the decay heat to dissipate so its cool enough for the kerbals to work on.

Days? Oh great fun. I was hoping to try something out on the runway and see how much difference it makes. So you have to go scan for the stuff, mine it, refine it, fly it to ships with reactors and wait a few days to stick it in?

[forsaken1111]

Days? Oh great fun. I was hoping to try something out on the runway and see how much difference it makes. So you have to go scan for the stuff, mine it, refine it, fly it to ships with reactors and wait a few days to stick it in?

It can take a long while for the reactor to cool down, yes.

I've finished changing relay routing algorithm from using optimal distance to using optimal efficiency(angle,distance) and I must say it seems to be working pretty awesome and has some interesting gameplay consequences.

In this game I have a lot of satellites in Kerbin's equatorial orbits but almost nothing in higher/lower inclinations. This has huge effect now...

In first 4 screenshots you can see that my input power stays at very similar stable level when receiver is at 'horizontal' positions since there are relays everywhere.

In next 2 screenshots receiver is pointed upwards and downwards - power drops almost to zero since there are no relays up/down.

Next two screenshot shows thermal receiver in vertical and horizontal positions - since it collects best on sides vertical position is the best for thermal receiver, horizontal is not so great but it still has pretty decent input power.

Generally speaking now you can get pretty stable power levels if you place relays in 3 dimensions or have multiple receivers pointed at different directions.

I've added for testing purposes Network Depth label here which displays longest connection in terms of hops between relays and made Satellites\Relays connected also display total number of transmitters\relays.

I'll post all the code as soon as I clean & comment it properly, should be done by tomorrow.

That looks awesome! One of the two things keeping me from working on a deep space energy net is the lack of proper relay networks.

Edited December 6, 2013 by forsaken1111

[Donziboy2]

Days? Oh great fun. I was hoping to try something out on the runway and see how much difference it makes. So you have to go scan for the stuff, mine it, refine it, fly it to ships with reactors and wait a few days to stick it in?

0.23 should allow us to change fuel in the VAB. It was made that way so you cant just shut down the reactor, refuel and leave in 10 seconds.